📚 IN DEPTH✏
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
EPIC DARK FANTASY
JMD REID
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If you were stranded on a desert island, what three books would you want with you?
The Lord of the Rings (you can get it all in one book), Sum of Fears, The Stand.
What drew you to the craft of writing?
I grew reading all these really greats stories. I started out with the Hardy Boys and other children’s books, the my uncle gave me the Hobbit. I got hooked and moved onto The Lord of the Rings. From there, it was a downward plunge into the Fantasy genre. In Junior High, I started wanting to write and tell my own stories. The older I got, the more I wanted to write.
When writing a novel, are you a detailed planner or do you fly by the seats of your pants?
I wrote my first two novels with only the faintest outlines. I find myself now writing more detailed outlines, plotting out scenes for a section of the novel, figuring out the emotional beats, and then writing it. Of course, if I feel something needs to change or I have a better idea, I will abandon my outline.
What attracted you to writing Fantasy?
You get to create your own worlds in the speculative genres. You get to make all these great decisions. You get to create peoples, places, and things that could not even exist in our world and explore them. It is creativity at its most unfettered.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Three years ago when I finally managed to buckle down and began writing consistently. It took me a year just to force myself to write everyday and I came to love it more and more.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Tokien’s Lord of the Rings is why I read fantasy. David Eddings taught me the love of fun characters. But Robert Jordan and his Wheel of Time series has the most impact. My style of writing is definitely influenced by his limited, third person POV. Brandon Sanderson, who has a style himself influenced by Robert Jordan, writes the kind of story beats I like. He always finds new ways to surprise me as a reader.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I write in a very limited, third person, keeping in one character’s POV at a time. I really like to get into my character’s heads and use the unreliable narration to misdirect my audience.
Last, do you have any advice for a new or aspiring author?
Don’t give up your dream. It’s hard. But if you love it. If you think you’re good at it, then keep trying. Keep writing. Keep sharing.
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ABOUT JMD REID
J.M.D. Reid has been a long-time fan of Fantasy ever since he read The Hobbit way back in the fourth grade. His head has always been filled with fantastical tales, and he is eager to share the worlds dwelling in his dreams with you.
Reid is long-time resident of the Pacific Northwest in and around the City of Tacoma. The rainy, gloomy atmosphere of Western Washington, combined with the natural beauty of the evergreen forests and the looming Mount Rainier, provides the perfect climate to brew creative worlds and exciting stories!
When he’s not writing, Reid enjoys playing video games, playing D&D and listening to amazing music.
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J.M.D. Reid:
I’ve known James ever since I’ve been on twitter. Besides being a very versatile and talented writer, he’s one the most supportive authors in our writing community!! tf